A 7.4 magnitude earthquake—which, for context, is one of the highest numbers on the earthquake magnitude scale—hit the east coast of Taiwan on Wednesday, killing at least nine people and injuring more than one thousand more. It was the strongest earthquake in the region in 25 years, and crews are now working constantly to reach the dozens of people still trapped in Hualien County, a major tourist destination. Worse yet, according to Wu Chien-fu, director of the Taiwanese Central Weather Administration’s Seismology Center, aftershocks of magnitudes between 6.5 and 7 are likely to occur over the next few days.
Many buildings and a major highway have been damaged, amid mounting reports of injury and death. Below, find three ways you can help those affected by the earthquake in Taiwan.
This arm of the International Committee of the Red Cross is providing disaster relief (including food, clean water, and medical and hygiene items) to those affected in the area.
This organization provides humanitarian assistance and disaster response in Taiwan and is taking donations to “save lives and reduce suffering caused by natural disasters in Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region.”
This nonprofit organization was founded in 1995 and sets up temporary medical clinics throughout Taiwan monthly, a resource that will surely be needed as the toll from Wednesday’s earthquake mounts.